Momonanomo

I recently started laser treatments & i wish i had done it years ago! I have had problems with ingrowns, even when i got professional waxing. Never again! It does seem expensive, but if you calculate the cost of razors or waxing over a lifetime, it is actually cheaper. No more fussing with it, and no more ingrowns!!!

I've had mirena for almost 5 years now and I intend to replace it this winter. I never felt it was a factor in my weight at all. The depo shots I used to get years ago DID cause weight gain though!

I'm 4 1/2 months out, and no hair loss (yet, knock on wood). I was able to get my calories up to average of 900 per day pretty early on with good clean food. I have half an avocado in a green smoothie every day (my smoothies also have green leafy veggies and fruit). I take biotin daily, and early on i was able to meet my fluid and protein goals. I have a lot of hair so if i lose some it is all good. But i am hoping that i will be like sanks51!

Check out people who make ANY comment on ANYthing I buy are a huge annoyance to me. I just find it so UNcalled for. I understand they want to make small talk or be personal and voila what I'm buying is a perfect conversation starter. But come ON. I didn't bring my stuff to your register for you to review and make commentary on.Please talk about the weather or something. My husband and I have joked about what weird combinations of items could we come up with to take to the register and see what the cashier has to say about it. Shower cap, bleach, and tongs? Cucumber, vaseline, and lysol? Condoms, cat litter, and hair dye? LOL I'm sure we could really mess with their heads!

And the thinner hair wont be forever. It will come back. Then you will have great hair again as well as your health!

nope, I couldn't bring myself to advance my food progression sooner than I was supposed to because of the thought that 85% of my stomach was removed and there was a cut & staple line several inches long down the side of a major organ. It was never about "cheating" on any old diet like I had done in the past. This was major surgery, my surgeon had set up specific rules, and he's smarter than me. I also figured that even though I might be able to "handle it", my stomach was likely still numb early on and any stress put on it could cause damage without me knowing it.

Are you always, always eating dense protein first? However hungry I become, if I eat the dense protein first, the small meal gives me a full feeling.

Do you have a NUT you can consult with? I understand how it doesn't feel right -- because it is a vastly new way of eating -- soooo different from how we all ate BEFORE surgery. Your stomach is healing so sticking with liquid is the norm. Most people do find it a challenge to meet their protein and liquid goals right away. And, everyone's doctor seems to have a different plan as far as food progression goes. I had to do clear liquids the first 3 days if I remember right, then "full" liquids (protein shakes) for like the next 10 days. So it was a while before I could have cottage cheese. Oh you better beleive I was day dreaming about cottage cheese by day 6 of the full liquids! ANYways, you should be following your surgeon and NUT's plan to a T at this point. So if it doesn't feel right, definitely check in with them! Good luck!

yep you've got to add some fruit to kinda disguise the leafy greens. The nutriblast literature says the basic formula is: 1/2 fruit 1/2 veggie (this includes either 1/2 small avocado or banana) and then a sprinkling of a 'booster' like goji berries or healthy nuts. and some Water I also then add a packet of Syntrax nectar to add Protein and give it extra sweetness. Otherwise ti would likely require splenda. One of my fave recipes is to use a cored, unpeeled red apple, 1/2 small avo, 1 c kale or baby spinach, vanilla Protein Powder, 1/2 oz almonds, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Another fave is frozen cherries, 1/2 small avo, 1 c kale or baby spinach, chocolate protein powder, 1/2 oz almonds. Voila! blackforest cake! Or frozen peaches, 1/2 small avo, 1 c kale or baby spinach, the syntrax fuzzy navel powder, 1/2 oz dried goji berries. I have these green shakes 5 days a week. Love em and I feel like they've done me a lot of good! I really haven't had any hair loss (yet -- knock on wood) and I attribute it to getting my calories & nutrition up early on with these shakes, and also the avocado. Yum yum YUM!!!!

I know the liquid diet gets old, but you have to think of it not as if it's just another diet --- this liquid diet is because you had your tummy cut and it needs to heal. Do not be tempted to advance your diet too fast, because it is dangerous and could result in complications. You can do this. Time will pass and you'll get through it!

I work in accounting, so I am a real nerd about keeping exact numbers and averages etc. At 16 weeks post surgery, I am down 67 lbs but that includes the 2 week pre-op diet. So 57 lbs since surgery. Big losses initially, then a pattern that follows my TOM. I'm averaging minus 1.36% per week. HOWEVER! i completely agree with Arts that you will lose exactly the amount that is right for YOU when your follow you plan. It is fun to think about where you could be in the future though Rest assured that it WILL be at a smaller size than you are at now. And I agree with Pretty as well --- you WILL look and feel fabulous!

Gas x strips are good to have on hand, and some lip balm. Other than that, plan to sip, walk, sip, rest, and repeat! Over and over! Also, don't over do it if you're feeling fine. You will get tired easily. Give your body some good TLC healing time. Good luck!

I was sick and tired of being sick and tired!

I ave more energy and my balance has gotten better. Also I am thrilled that I can easily cross my legs again!

I love those things, and I am the same way -- it's a once-in-a-while treat for me!! very satisfying!

Omg L i just saw your post....like 7 months later You are so sweet to make that offer! Now dr comes to maui for my appts yes mary asked me a goal & i said 150....butimgoing to try to go for 145....

I'm trying hard to get this ball rolling already! Met with my surgeon -- he is awesome. Met with the nutritionist and the coordinator. This involved traveling by plane and renting a car since they are all on a different island (Oahu).So I'm getting financially invested along with the emotional investment I've already made. Trying to figure out how to get my surgery date set for hopefully May. Any later will conflict with things at work and family traveling. If it's not May, it could end up being in the fall. And I am so ready to go NOW! The party line of my insurance co is that I must do 6 months of medically supervised diets, but my coordinator says those 6 months can be piece-mealed from previous attempts at weight loss from previous doctors. So we've carved off 2 months already just from me getting my referral from my endocrinologist and now getting signed on with their office. Now I'm trying to remember when it was that I tried Meridia, and medifast. That should be good for several months! Went to my old dr's office this afternoon to try to get all those records. It will take 5-7 days. argh. but onward! Also called my insurance to talk to the pre-auth nurse (I think that is her title) and it *sounds* like the 6 months is not a hard and fast rule. She said that they want to make sure I am fit for surgery and that I will be successful. I'm hopeful, but the cynic in me says they want me to get frustrated and give up. HOWEVER, no one want this for me more than me, and I will show them how once i set my mind to something I will get it done, be it getting approved for surgery or being successful after! Because I KNOW I will be successful with the sleeve. I can *feel* it! So....bring on the hoops! I will jump through all of 'em! hahahahahaha Happy Valentines Day! xoxoxoxoxoxo

Sending positive thoughts your way! I wish you a fast & easy recovery :)good luck!

Oh yeah! Another favorite recipe is to use a leafy green & the 1/2 avo plus a cored apple with vanilla protein and a dash of cinammon! usually put some lemon juice in to keep it from browning. It is SO yummy!

I love my nutribullet; I got it after surgery when I was missing my veggies like you are. I put in kale, chard, or spinach with half an avocado (a small one!), some frozen peaches or mango or berries, some goji berries or 1/2 oz of almonds, and protein powder. I like the syntrax nectar -- I use fuzzy navel with my peaches, and strawberry kiwi with berries. Vanilla is good with just about anything! I have a green shake 5 days a week (I take it to the office). I'm 4 months out and hoping the avocado will help prevent major hair loss....so far so good --- fingers crossed. I definitely began to feel better and more "balanced" once I started my green shakes.

when I've had problems with stomach acid, aka heartburn or acid reflux, I could easily describe it as a lump in my throat feeling. Have they given you anything to control acid? Like a PPI?

I'm not really going to comment on the "easy way out" stuff, because everyone here absolutely knows what that's about. You are a wonderful, caring, compassionate woman to have those feelings about the others who are struggling. I guess it's like survivors guilt in a way. You can't be responsible for saving all these people. You can, however, be kind to them, and treat them as you wanted to be treated when you were in that condition. You can share your story if and when it's appropriate. I've chosen to keep my surgery private, but at work if one of the people here that I work with who are obese were to ask me what my "secret" is to losing weight I would tell them. It would be cruel not to I think. But, if they don't ask me, I will not give unsolicited testimony to them. People know that WLS exists -- it's not a big secret in this day and age. Some choose not to go that route, and it is their choice. We made the choice that was best for us. There are a myriad of reasons the people you see haven't chosen surgery. You are not responsible for those reasons. Try to enjoy your choice, your empowerment, your health. You might also consider talking with a counselor about these feelings -- just to help you sort through them. Extreme weight loss is not just about changing the body -- it can really do a number on your head as well.

Today is exactly 16 weeks since surgery & I’ve lost 55 lbs since then. That plus the 10 lbs I lost pre-op mean I am down a total so far of 65 lbs! 65.4 to be exact, but who’s counting lol. I am excited! I am about 7 lbs away from being half way to goal. I am doing a lot of closet shopping, and now I realize if I don’t try on things frequently, I am in danger of several items becoming too big before I even get a chance to wear them! My sweet & generous husband thinks I should buy new stuff whenever I feel like it, even if I know I will only wear it a short time, & he says there are worse problems to have and that I should treat myself for having earned it. While I certainly agree with him in theory I cannot bring myself to go out and buy brand new things when I am not close to goal yet. I’m cruising ebay a lot. I have maxi dresses that I can wear quite a bit longer without them getting too obviously big, and a Donna Karan wrap dress that will just need to be wrapped tighter and tighter, but my pants and jeans…oh boy when you can take off your jeans without unbuttoning or unzipping them, you know they’re getting too big! So I need to get a smaller pair of jeans….and that’s where ebay comes in. I’m bidding on my favorite kind of Levi’s in the next smaller size and if I can get them for less than $20 I consider that a success. I’m so grateful for the sleeve. I’ve really had no problems with it, except for a bout with stomach acid a few weeks ago. I’m managing it with OTC meds and hoping eventually I won’t have to take it much. If I do have to take it every day forever, then so be it. It’s a very small price to pay, in contrast to the laundry list of health problems that I was headed for with obesity. My relationship with food has turned a compete 360. It is a bit of a mind trip though, because having loved food so much for all my 41 years, I still get excited about it. And then I eat it and after 4 bites I’m like “ugh, that’s enough”. So in some ways I feel like I live with a ghost – the memory of how satisfying stuffing myself used to be. And yet, now after a couple of bites I don’t want – can’t have – any more. (please note this is when following the "protein first" rule) It’s a very strange thing to wrap my head around -- this new ambiguous feeling about food, but it is actually a good thing. It’s what I wanted. I’ve always envied people whose lives weren’t driven by the urge to eat – food was always my obsession. When to eat, what to eat, when to eat next, what to eat if no one was there to see. Now I don’t have that uncontrollable urge, and it is lovely. I hope it lasts forever. I easily & happily stick to pretty paleo type eating, and have recently added one day a week where I have some good starch like whole grain bread. I think that revved my metabolism a bit, although I think it dampens my energy some on those days. I just don’t eat many carbs in the way of starches any more, and I absolutely do not miss them! I think I’ve had some dark chocolate maybe twice and my reaction was “meh” ....so why have it again? I have to say I am detoxed from refined sugar and thank God for it. I was a slave to sugar before. That evil is behind me and I do not ever ever want to let that monster out of its cage again. Because I fear sugar could sabotage me in the future, I am going to be very cautious about ever reintroducing it. My husband, who really wasn’t entirely on board with me having the surgery, has recently talked quite a bit about how happy he is with how things are turning out Go figure. LOL. We bought a 42 lb thing of cat litter at Costco last week, and as he said “ooof!” while hefting it into the shopping cart, I said “Yeah, well I’ve lost 1 ½ the weight of that” and it Absolutely. Blew. His. mind. Now, that was more than a week ago, and he’s remarked on it several times since – contemplating the weight I used to carry like that really had an impact on him. I said, “now you understand why I never had energy, right? Aren’t you glad the 65 lbs is gone? And, think about me losing another 65 lbs! You’ll have to put a tether on me or I might just float away!!” LOL Really, my energy has gotten so much better and I’m less than half way there….it is hard to imagine how good I’m going to feel when I get to goal! (please do note that I say ‘when’ not ‘if’) I’m stoked. I had a great week, and a great month. I track the patterns in my weight loss – regardless of intake or working out, every third week it flat lines. I accept it. The big picture is important; meeting mini goals are important. Meeting goals that are not related to numbers on a scale are important too. I’m all over this! Onward!

omg that does look good!

I think that my taste buds have changed in regards to ground beef! it always tastes a bit "off" to me now.